You wouldn't think that one class at a regional career and tech school could make that much of a difference in your life. But, for me, it did. I'll (hopefully) never forget some of the things I learned from Mrs. R., the wobbly lady who patiently tried to bestow her knowledge of graphic art and design on her students. Sometimes she could be a bit cranky, and I often thought she was a bit hokey. But she was always kind and encouraging to the students who tried.
Most of my classmates didn't bother trying to hide their reason for enrolling - it got them out of school for a few hours every morning. For me, it gave me somewhere I actually had to be, every morning. That was interesting. As was riding a school bus for the first time in my life, at the ripe age of 16. I learned just how cruel public school kids (i.e., kids) could be, in real life. And they weren't even that bad... I might've blocked some of their teasing from my memory, though.
In any case, I didn't realize that the other kids thought it was a joke until I had already signed up to go... not that it would have made much of a difference, anyway; I never take a class as a joke. I arrived at school eager to please, and excel. What I lack in natural talent, I made up for in ambition. Despite turning in some awful drawings for homework, I always made decent marks. (Poor Mrs. R. wanted to dissuade me from only drawing horses. I can't recall ever turning in anything but, if I had the choice.)
When we were learning how to do simple animations on Bryce, it seemed as though a lot of people were spending a lot of time flipping through the book, and not much time trying it. Although I wasn't very good, it was fun to play with. I heard one of the most important pearls that I would gather from Mrs. R during that time, though: When we're given something new, and we don't know what to do, there are two reactions that people will always have. They will either flounder around, and say they don't know how to do it, and not accomplish anything.. or they will fight it. Those are your choices - Fight, or Flounder.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of that. Fight. Flounder. Those are your choices.
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